diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/lflang/generator/docker/DockerComposeGenerator.java b/core/src/main/java/org/lflang/generator/docker/DockerComposeGenerator.java
index 52212d5cf1..0b2addacdc 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/lflang/generator/docker/DockerComposeGenerator.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/lflang/generator/docker/DockerComposeGenerator.java
@@ -125,7 +125,9 @@ public void createLauncher() {
     var fileConfig = context.getFileConfig();
     var packageRoot = fileConfig.srcPkgPath;
     var srcGenPath = fileConfig.getSrcGenPath();
-    var file = fileConfig.binPath.resolve(fileConfig.name).toFile();
+    var binPath = fileConfig.binPath;
+    FileUtil.createDirectoryIfDoesNotExist(binPath.toFile());
+    var file = binPath.resolve(fileConfig.name).toFile();
     var script =
         """
         #!/bin/bash
@@ -142,7 +144,9 @@ public void createLauncher() {
       writer.write(script);
       writer.close();
     } catch (IOException e) {
-      messageReporter.nowhere().warning("Unable to write launcher to: " + file.getAbsolutePath());
+      messageReporter
+          .nowhere()
+          .warning("Unable to write launcher to " + file.getAbsolutePath() + " with error: " + e);
     }
 
     if (!file.setExecutable(true, false)) {